Discovery BoxMatthew 12:31-32 
Context12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, 1 but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. 2 But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 3 either in this age or in the age to come.
Matthew 12:43-45
Context12:43 “When 4 an unclean spirit 5 goes out of a person, 6 it passes through waterless places 7 looking for rest but 8 does not find it. 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 9 When it returns, 10 it finds the house 11 empty, swept clean, and put in order. 12 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 13 the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
1 tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”
2 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
3 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”
sn Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning.
4 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
5 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
6 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.
7 sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).
8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
9 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
10 tn Grk “comes.”
11 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
12 sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.
13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
